Cornell & Diehl Haunted Bookshop is the C&D blend that elevated Burley from a codger-blend component to a modern pipe-tobacco centerpiece — the late Bob Runowski's Burley-forward classic, with Red Virginia and a well-measured touch of Louisiana Perique.
Haunted Bookshop was blended by Bob Runowski, one of the great American pipe-tobacco blenders of the late 20th century, and named for Christopher Morley's 1919 novel of the same name — a comic story set in a Brooklyn used-book shop. The blend is widely credited with reframing Burley: once seen mostly as a filler leaf in old drugstore-codger blends, Burley found a new seriousness in Runowski's hands. Haunted Bookshop has sat on reviewers' top-five lists for decades and is often grouped with Old Joe Krantz and Morley's Best as Runowski's great Burley trilogy. The current recipe is still blended by Cornell & Diehl in Morganton, NC, with the Perique sourced exclusively from 31 Farms in Louisiana's St. James Parish since C&D's 2022 partnership — the only Perique still grown traditionally in the Parish.
Blend Information
- Blender: Bob Runowski (the late, revered American blender)
- Blend Family: Burley · Non-Aromatic · Codger-style
- Components: Burley (predominant) · Red Virginia · 100% St. James Perique
- Flavoring: None (natural, uncased)
- Cut: Ribbon (coarse-cut)
- Body / Strength: Medium
- Room Note: Pleasant
- Country of Origin: United States (Morganton, NC)
- Format: 2 oz tin
- Namesake: Christopher Morley's 1919 novel The Haunted Bookshop
Tasting Profile: Haunted Bookshop opens with the unmistakable Burley nose — nutty, slightly earthy, with a hint of cereal grain and a faint musty sweetness. On the burn, Burley carries the body with warm nuttiness and a soft butter note; Red Virginia steps in with natural sweetness and depth; Louisiana Perique threads through with plum, raisin, and a dry white-peppercorn spice. Smokes cool and slow — no bite if you keep the cadence measured. The coarse ribbon and the Burley's slow-burning character make a 2 oz tin run longer than you'd expect. Classic companion to morning coffee.
The gateway C&D Burley blend, and the one that put the house's reputation on the map. For Burley smokers, VaPer smokers curious about Burley-forward alternatives, codger-blend enthusiasts looking for a modern take, and anyone building a foundation C&D cellar.
